North, South, East and West
by ShadesofChaos40
Summary: Four trainers graduate at the same time but their Pokemon begin to bicker and drive them apart.
1. Chapter 1

This is just a test story. If I get some good reviews then I'll continue, so if you like, review. Thank you. Also, I really need a beta reader. Anyone interested should include it in their review.

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Disclaimer: Pokemon is the property of Nintendo, not me.

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Professor Edward J. Redwood stared up at the polished white marble, that adorned the front of his place of work. The bronze letters, edged in silver, hanging above the doors spelled out Pokemon University. Redwood snorted under his breath. Pokemon training was a lost art in this school.

Pokemon University had been set up for those parents who wanted their offspring to settle down into an education system and take some proper exams, instead of leaving home at the first opportunity to become a Pokemon trainer. Not that the parents had anything against the prospect of a Pokemon trainer, they just wanted their children to have a few degrees before they thought about leaving. After all, many trainers came back home after a few months, down heartened and unable to find work because they had no qualifications. The University shouldn't even have Pokemon in the title, the professor thought.

However, it was customary, that when students reached Year 9, two years before they sat their GCSEs, their parents would be sent a letter. If the child returned their reply slip, then they were admitted into a two year long crash course in the areas of Pokemon care, training and battling, led by Redwood himself. Very few children returned their forms, these kids choices were still governed by their parents. Redwood never had more than ten "hopefuls" in his class. This year, he had four children who were nearing the end of his course.

Very few children failed Redwood's course. He would not fail someone who lost every match, or knew nothing about battling techniques. He only failed a student who he felt would not care for their Pokemon. It was true that some children had tried to hide their callousness in his classes but Redwood saw through them. He could see the fire that burned in their eyes when their Pokemon drew blood. But, he had high hopes of these four. Redwood stubbed out his cigarette in the ground and walked inside the building.

Redwood passed through gleaming corridors until he located his office. He opened the polished oak door and sat behind his mahogany desk. A piece of paper lay on the wood before him. Redwood leaned forwards and picked it up. He threw his grey overcoat onto the floor and put his mud-encrusted boots on the desk. Professor Redwood was not a paperwork person. He peered at the note through his glasses. It was from Mister Roulston, the headmaster.

Professor Redwood.

I have read your recommendations for starting Pokemon for the four candidates and I hereby give you my official approval of your choices. Although I must say that I express some concern about your choices for the two boys. Those Pokemon are notoriously hard to handle. However, I concede to your superior intellect in this field and trust your judgement. You may call the children for their briefing when you are ready.

Headmaster Roulston

Redwood chuckled and stuffed the paper into his desk drawer, he picked up the receiver of his videophone and dialled a number. After about eight rings Miss Johnson, the secretary picked up.

"Yes Professor?" she said cradling the phone on her shoulder. The professor pressed the hands-free button.

"Please send the four Pokeballs specified to you up to my office from the archives. Quickly as you can please." Miss Johnson nodded and put the phone down. Redwood sat back and picked up a file. Inside this file were the marks achieved by all four students on the course. No student shone out from the others and all would go far, he hoped.

Before long a cardboard box was handed to him by the caretaker. Redwood took it without a word and cut the sellotape from the top with his letter opener. The inside was filled with polystyrene. He fished around with his hands until he found the four Pokeballs. He placed them on his desk, put the box into his store cupboard and pressed the button for the P.A system.

"Would the four prospective Pokemon trainers please come up to my office as soon as you can? Thank you." He settled back on his chair, the children knew the way to his office by heart. He waited.

The first student to arrive was Amy. The girl was not a brilliant battler in his opinion but she more than made up for that by her outstanding theory marks. At least he knew that the girl's Pokemon would be well cared for if nothing else. He handed her one of the Pokeballs and instructed her to have a seat while they waited for the other students.

Second to appear was Chris. There are many people in this world on whom a comb can be used for its intended purpose, but Chris was not one of them. Chris was the best battler of the group and was not uncaring for his Pokemon. Redwood liked the boy's style if not his dress sense. Chris too was given a Pokeball and instructed to wait.

Next came Richard. Redwood liked Richard's compassion and energy he had when working with Pokemon. The boy's battling strategy left something to be desired, but the boy had the basic idea. He was presented with a Pokeball and the four people awaited the fifth.

Lastly came Rebecca, she burst through the door, panting and trying to do up the catch on her bag, which had broken. She apologised profusely and retightened the belt on her jeans. She grabbed the last remaining Pokeball and sat down in a leather armchair. Redwood stood up.

"Good Morning. Today marks the start of your final examination. Inside these Pokeballs is the starter that I have recommended for you. We have battled in school with a majority of types, so you should be prepared. Your task is simple. You must look after your Pokemon for a week. At the end of the week, we will import Nurse Joy from Pewter to give each Pokemon a thorough check up. If your Pokemon is in good health and comments well on your treatment of it. Then you will be recognised as a trainer." Redwood smiled. His Espeon would be holding a detailed conversation with all four Pokemon at the end of the week, and he was surprised at how many trainers fell at the final hurdle.

"If I may give you one tip before you leave it will be this. I would advise you to limit how often you release your Pokemon during school hours. Be aware that many students were not allowed to take my course. We do not wish to cause unnecessary violence. And now, I wish you the best of luck during this week. You may go." The four trainers left. Redwood collapsed in his chair and massaged his temples. He had a feeling that this week would be interesting.


	2. Reveal

Chapter 2: Reveal

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Disclaimer: Pokemon are owned by Nintendo. Not Me.

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The four students exited the room in single file, each holding their Pokeball tentatively, as if it would explode or disappear before them. Each turned to the other, seemingly lost for words.

"So," Amy said, "who wants to go first?" Although each of the four was excited beyond belief, they all found that they were reluctant to throw the Pokeballs and release the Pokemon within. Maybe to do so would break the spheres and harm the Pokemon inside. They had fought with Pokemon in the sports hall during their practical lessons but those Pokemon belonged to the Professor, these belonged to them.

With an intake of breath, Richard carefully pressed the white button on the front of the Pokeball maybe in time he would get used to throwing Pokeballs in order to release their contents, but not now. The sphere exploded into a burst of white light. The corridor was illuminated with the shining glow as it slowly reformed itself into a Pokemon.

Blue, and purple. Wings. Teeth.

The Zubat flapped it's wings slowly, stretching the membranes after weeks in shipping. The teeth delicately ran down each wing, scooping out bugs and dirt. Finally, satisfied with it's work, the Zubat stretched and flew to rest on one of the dishevelled lockers which lined both sides of the corridor and busied itself with trying to rip a flaking layer of green paint off of the wall.

The four students stood in awe as the Zubat performed these menial tasks. The exclusivity of seeing these actions performed by a Pokemon that he owned left an impact on Richard for the rest of his life. With small steps, Richard walked over to the Zubat afraid that any loud noise would scare the Pokemon off, or break the illusion. Upon reaching the creature, Richard cautiously raised one hand and began to stroke the bat between the oversized ears. The Zubat turned and looked at him for a moment, tilting its head in order to scan the human with its echolocation. Finally, it assessed the human as no threat and went back to picking at the wall.

Spurred on by Richard's success with his Zubat, Amy dropped her Pokeball to the ground. There was a collective intake of breath, but was unfounded when the ball did not shatter upon impact but rather split as Richard's had done before. The white light grew and reformed like some primordial goo. But what emerged from the aura was much more than goo.

The Ponyta reared back and neighed, pawing at the brown carpet beneath her hooves, the corridor was lit by a flickering glow from the flame on the Pokemon's back. The Zubat stopped tearing at the wall and turned to stare at the new four-legged arrival. Once it had ascertained the identity of the Pokemon it spread its wings again and came to rest on the horse's back.

_"Where are we"_ Ponyta neighed, staring at the floor and ceiling. Zubat followed her head movement with apparent humour before forming a response.

_"It's pretty obvious you idiot. These four are trainers, and we're the Pokemon. You do the math."_ Ponyta looked at each of the four in turn as Zubat adjusted it's grip. She looked at Chris.

_"Looks dumb"_ Zubat chattered. Ponyta ignored him and looked at Rebecca.

_"Ugly"_ Zubat squeaked again. Ponyta snorted and shook her neck, Zubat struggled to maintain his balance and spread his wings. Ponyta trotted over to Amy.

_"Yeah, that's your trainer. I saw her drop your Pokeball_." Ponyta glared at the bat who opened his wings again.

_"It's true"_ he grinned. "_How well do you think she's gonna do in the Pokemon League when she can't even throw a Pokeball_." Ponyta growled and dislodged the bat again.

_"Go back to your trainer bat. Stop criticising mine_." Zubat shrugged and fluttered over to Richard. He closed his wings and landed softly on Richard's head. The boy teetered sideways as the added weight shifted a bit. Then both Ponyta and Zubat turned to look at the other girl, who, after some encouragement, dropped her Pokeball.

_"These kids have no style"_ Zubat squeaked pointing at Rebecca with one wing. He didn't get an answer, the other members of the corridor were watching the third glow reform.

The Igglybuff formed standing on its feet, leaning forwards, trying to keep its balance. It failed and fell forwards onto its face however, instead of staying down the small pink Pokemon bounced up again, and again, and again. Each time trying to stay balanced and stop bouncing but each time failing. The pink Pokemon started to bounce all over the corridor, gaining momentum with each bounce. It hit the walls, and even the ceiling on it's never ending freefall. By this point, Zubat had become consumed with laughter, the bat was shaking and struggling not to fall off. Ponyta had a look of concern etched on her face but, without opposable digits, lacked the opportunity to do anything, so she settled for chastising Zubat.

_"Come on, you stupid bat, you can fly, just catch the poor thing_." Zubat humphed at being bossed around but grudgingly spread his wings, took to the air and deftly snatched the flying pink puffball. With a small screech of triumph, he placed the terrified Pokemon in its trainer's arms. Zubat returned to Richard and settled on his head again. The three students turned to the last member of the group, who, after feeling their gaze fall on him threw the Pokeball down the corridor. The ball hit carpet and sprang open with another torrent of light.

The fourth Pokemon blinked in the harsh light, with a hiss, he sent a wave of dark energy at the light, shattering the plastic covering and breaking the light bulb. The corridor plunged into darkness, except for the glow given off by Ponyta. The Pokemon turned to the horse.

_"Turn off the light"_ It whispered. Ponyta glared.

_"Make me"_ The Pokemon gave a non-committal noise before turning to Chris.

_"So it would appear that I am cursed with you as a trainer_." it sneered, looking disdainfully at Chris in the flickering glow.

_"He can't understand you"_ Zubat interjected "_They don't understand our language yet."_ The new arrival looked at the bat as if he was some sort of disease.

_"I did not ask for your opinion you flying rat"_ Zubat screeched and launched at the new Pokemon, wings flapping madly and ultrasonic frequencies filling the air. The new Pokemon laughed and sent another wave of energy, knocking the bat back, tumbling through the air. The new Pokemon laughed and looked at Igglybuff who was cowering in fear in her trainer's arms.

_"What is wrong with this one?"_ The Pokemon asked.

_"It's scared of you. Or are you too callous to understand?"_ Ponyta yelled. The Pokemon looked at her.

_"It would appear that I have got the best of this deal though. If I am to have a trainer, I would rather it was this one than any of your pitiful excuses for humans."_ With that remark, the Pokemon extended another long, black snaking tendril and clicked the button on it's Pokeball, returning itself. As soon as the last remnants of red light had faded away, Ponyta whinnied again.

_"I hate Ghost-types. I really do_." She snorted. She looked around at her surroundings and squinted at Chris, the Gastly trainer.


	3. Animosity

Chapter 3 : Animosity

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Disclaimer: Pokemon is the property of Nintendo, not me.

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The mood between the Pokemon did not lessen as the week wore on. The test would be concluded on the Monday and it was now the previous Wednesday. In accordance with the Professor's wishes, the four Pokemon had been released very rarely at school. Richard tended to sneak into the gym during lunchtime and feed Zubat but the others were far more open about it, often releasing their Pokemon in the breaks to allow the other children to admire them. However, underneath the happy exterior, the four Pokemon were growing edgy.

Gastly had become a subject of hate. Zubat would attack Gastly on sight after only two days of knowing the Pokemon. Later, once Richard understood Zubat, he would learn that to call a Zubat a "flying rat" was the highest insult imaginable. Zubat and Gastly had become sworn enemies from day one. And, despite himself, Richard found that he was growing more and more distant from Chris. Richard found it odd that their Pokemon could have such an impact on their lives. Up until now, Pokemon were merely a novelty, toys to play with or battle with. But, they could change people, subconsciously.

And Zubat was not alone, both Ponyta and Igglybuff shunned Gastly as well. Ponyta would ignore Gastly and Gastly would ignore her. But Igglybuff would merely keel over and start shivering uncontrollably whenever Gastly came near. As a result, Rebecca rarely let the Pokemon out at all, and never when Chris was around. But her precautions were fruitless for out of all the four Pokemon, Gastly was the only one who had learned how to release himself from his Pokeball. Many were the times that he would slip out of Chris pocket and go searching for the small creature. It was a perverse pleasure but no one could stop him.

But, despite the growing rifts between their Pokemon, the four trainers did look after them. It took Chris a while to figure out how Gastly actually ate, but soon discovered it was the same as anyone, the food merely seemed to dissolve inside the gaseous Pokemon. But, on Thursday, an incident occurred that would stretch the rifts once more.

The setting was the lunch hall. The lunch hall was a giant room. Stretching 60 feet lengthways and the ceiling was about 40 feet high, it could comfortably fit every student in the school. The floor was covered in wooden panelling which was meticulously buffed every morning by the kitchen staff. The canteen area was merely a set of long metal counters on the far wall. With hundreds of wooden tables stacked in front of the counters. However, no one knows what caused the accident, maybe it was the slippery floor, maybe it was a crowd of younger students pushing past at that moment, or maybe she just fell, but, for whatever reason, Rebecca tripped over. And the interesting thing was not that she dropped hot food all down her, it was that Igglybuff's Pokeball fell off her belt as she went down. And Igglybuff went up, straight up. It hit the ceiling with the force of a bullet and bounced away. It hit a wall and ricocheted off again landing in a plate of curry sitting on the table. Igglybuff sat there for a moment before realising the curry was hot and scrambling to extract itself from the burning meal. Of course, in its hurry to move, it fell over again and began to bounce once more.

The hall was in an uproar, hundreds of hands reached into the air in an attempt to retrieve the petrified Pokemon but it bounced too much and many were afraid of hurting the little thing. But it was at this time that Richard did the sensible thing and released Zubat. Few students had seen Zubat because the bat was still not used to bright light, so many just sat and stared as the bat gracefully plucked the screaming ball out of the air and turned in a lazy arc to Rebecca. However, it was at this point that something happened which should not have happened. Gastly let itself out of the Pokeball.

Zubat immediately dropped Igglybuff who began another bouncing tirade and dove in a dive bomb at Gastly. The ghost Pokemon smiled and rose into the air to begin their dogfight. The two Pokemon streaked through the air, attacking each other when they passed. Zubat fought with the strength of one possessed. He slashed at Gastly with his wings, trying to injure the ghost who merely shrugged off the blows. Zubat wheeled around, ready for another attack run when red light slowly enveloped the bat. He looked down at his trainer just before he was recalled. Gastly started to laugh when another beam of red light caught him and dragged him back to the captivity of the Pokeball. Richard and Chris looked at each other, each apologising silently for their Pokemon's behaviour. Richard walked over, breaking the silent stalemate.

"C'mon, let's go see the professor, this can't keep happening." Chris nodded and the two of them left the hall in silence to seek out Professor Redwood. Surprisingly, the professor was in his study when the two boys arrived, and, to their horror, the Headmaster was there as well, with a stern look on his face. Headmaster Roulston was a stocky man, he had played professional rugby for a long part of his earlier life before taking up a Headmaster position in his retirement. He had a large, black, bushy moustache which clashed horribly with his brown hair. He always wore a business suit and always frowned, even when happy, but the two could tell this was not a happy frown. Professor Redwood looked up from pouring two cups of coffee as they entered.

"Ah boys, we were just talking about you. Come in, come in." He motioned to two chairs and the boys sat down. Richard spoke up.

"Professor, sir, something has to be done. We can't have Gastly and Zubat keep attacking each other." The Professor nodded and seemed about to speak when Headmaster Roulston butted in.

"I know we must do something young man, I suggest we remove the two Pokemon, give them new starters, something less deadly." Professor Redwood shook his head.

"No. Two reasons. One, Zubat and Gastly are already registered with these boys, we cannot return them without both boys going through the course again. Plus, as you may have noticed, both Pokemon have implanted on their trainers, and the trainers on them. To separate them now would kill the Pokemon and destroy the boys mentally. At this stage of ownership, the bond between Pokemon and Trainer is far stronger than any other time during their lives, especially with a starter involved. Separating them is out of the question." The Headmaster sighed and dropped his shoulders in defeat

"Then what do we do? The boys must remain with their Pokemon at all times in accordance with the rules and we cannot ensure that the Pokemon do not come into contact especially given the Gastly's…unique talent." Redwood stroked his chin and a small smile crept onto his features.

"I suggest that we end the test early." The headmaster choked and spluttered on the cup of coffee in his hands.

"What?" he bellowed. Redwood waved a hand in a dismissive manner.

"It makes sense. Let the boys, and the girls miss the rest of the week of school, allow them to look after the Pokemon in a more natural and less confined environment and have them bring their Pokemon back in on Monday for the final assessment, if your that worried, we can even scatter the examination times so that Richard can have started his journey by the time Chris even comes in! What do you think?" The Headmaster rubbed his moustache and twiddled the end into a fine spiral. Finally he spoke.

"Very well, we cannot afford a repeat performance of today. That is certain." He turned to the two boys who had remained silent throughout the conversation.

"You two are now unofficially suspended. This also applies to the girls. I shall find them and inform them. You know what this means and what we expect. You will be contacted remotely for your final examination times. Good day." The Headmaster gulped down the rest of his coffee and strode out of the door. The two boys made to follow him but Redwood motioned for them to stay.

"Now boys, there are some guidelines we'll have to give you given this change of events." He pulled out two small plastic cards.

"These are temporary licenses. They will permit you to carry and release Pokemon until Monday when you hopefully earn your Pokedexes. I have two for the girls as well. Also, I will be calling all Pokemarts and Pokemon centres in the area. They will have your Trainer IDs, which are printed on the cards, and they will be forbidden to serve you. You cannot buy anything or heal your Pokemon until Monday. Also, please hold out your wrists." The two boys each presented their right wrists and Redwood clipped a black bracelet around them. It looked like the sort of bracelet you get given at hospitals before an operation.

"These are technology dampeners. While you are wearing these, you cannot use any Pokemon related technology other than the Pokeballs that contain Zubat and Gastly. If you remove the dampeners in any way, I will know and you will instantly fail the test. Now, I shall see you both on Monday, get going." He gently pushed them out of the door. The two looked at each other for a while, trying to comprehend what they had just seen and heard. Then, without a word, they shook hands and walked away down opposite ends of the corridor.


	4. Conversation

Chapter 4: Conversation

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To say that the rest of the week before the final exam passed slowly for the four trainers would be a gross understatement. Many was the time that one or the other of them would feel that the clock was mocking them with its stubborn refusal to advance. But, somehow, they could tolerate the wait, as this left more time for them to be with their Pokemon. And, as they were spending very little time around each other, their own individual training styles were becoming more pronounced.

Richard spent almost every waking moment of the day with Zubat. Although the two were strengthening the bond between them as the primary task at hand, training was also on Richard's mind. He was determined to build up Zubat's resistance to light. He often released the bat during the middle of the day just to allow the bat to become more resistant to the blinding rays. Although Zubat originally hated the pain that this caused, he soon realised the potential benefits of the exercise and bore it with a tolerant patience. Besides, day vision was another advantage that he had over Gastly. In the mere five days that they had known each other, the trust and friendship between Richard and Zubat had strengthened far more than that between any of the others. Richard often let Zubat sleep out of his Pokeball at night, something that the other three were not prepared to do yet, content in the knowledge that Zubat would fly into the garden, feast on whatever bugs were available and be hanging from the ceiling of his bedroom in the morning. And for Zubat, the feeling was mutual, as much as his instincts tried to convince him, Zubat could not imagine life without a trainer anymore.

However, Gastly was reacting violently to Chris' attempts at friendship. The ghost Pokemon seemed completely and utterly disinterested in forming any sort of bond with his trainer at all. He was merely content to cause as much havoc as possible in as short a space of time as possible, with disastrous consequences, considering that Chris' parents had a very wide collection of antiques. Thus, sadly, Chris' was forced to leave his house and lodge in the Pokemon centre for the remainder of the week. However, Gastly's behaviour was not improved by the new environment any more than in Chris' house. The ghost type was particularly fond of hanging around the cafeteria, ambushing both trainer and Pokemon alike. Much to his pride, three trainers had been admitted to hospital, suffering from paralysis of the nervous system and 17 Pokemon had fallen to him as well. Chris was becoming exasperated.

Amy and Ponyta were focussing all of their time on training, although nothing prevented the trainers from engaging in battle, the lack of healing facilities and the subsequent health check-up from nurse Joy meant that training had to be limited to outside of battles. Although Ponyta only knew two attacks, her tackle attack was being strengthened by having her ram into trees and plants in the forest near to Amy's house and Amy was starting to learn how to ride Ponyta without falling off. Although she had been told that Ponyta never burned people that they trusted it was still hard to get used the climbing on the back of a Pokemon that was literally sprouting flames. But, it was a true tribute to Amy's determination to better connect with her Pokemon that she tried non-stop for over three days before she finally was able to ride Ponyta. Admittedly, it was at nothing faster that a walk, but every step was progress.

As for Rebecca, training was the furthest thing from her mind. However, that does not mean that she was neglecting her Pokemon. It wasn't really a matter of not bothering to train her Igglybuff, rather that she was unable to train Igglybuff. Within a few hours of returning to her house Igglybuff had still refused to move from the desktop where Rebecca had released it, all it had done was shiver and cry. Rebecca was certain that the condition had been caused by Gastly's intervention in the lunch hall, but she was at a loss of what to do in order to make her Pokemon walk, talk or do anything. The pain of Igglybuff being unable to anything was breaking Rebecca's heart, and so, she decided to do the one thing she had always beaten the other three in during the course. Pokespeech.

It was Saturday night when Rebecca tried her first attempt at communication. Igglybuff still hadn't moved from the foetal position on her desk, but there was slightly less food in the bowl next to Igglybuff than when Rebecca had put it down so that was good sign. Steeling herself, and running over all the different vocabulary in her head, Rebecca knelt down and picked up the tiny Pokemon in both hands. It was shivering slightly so Rebecca crossed over to her bed and sat down, wrapping the covers around the two of them. She sat in silence, stroking Igglybuff's topknot until the shivering subsided. Then she cleared her throat.

"_Hello?_" Igglybuff stopped breathing for a split second before resuming its shuddering breaths. Rebecca sighed deeply and pressed on.

"_Can you hear me?_" Igglybuff stopped breathing again. Rebecca found herself unconsciously holding her breath with the tiny Pokemon. Then, ever so slowly, Igglybuff rotated in her hands until its usually comically large eyes were staring straight at her. Right now the eyes were filled with tears, like two identical glistening puddles after heavy rain. The tiny Pokemon glanced up at it's trainer before turning around to see if there were any other Igglybuff concealed in the room which might have spoken. Then, seeing no other Pokemon, Igglybuff opened its mouth.

"_You talk like me?_" Rebecca smiled gently and nodded, Igglybuff smiled back.

"_Yes_" Rebecca said, "_Now you can talk, and I can talk back. So…" _Rebecca placed Igglybuff gently on the mattress, the last thing she needed right now was for the little Pokemon to start another bouncing tirade. "_Talk_" And that one word seemed to do the trick. For the next twenty minutes, Igglybuff talked non-stop about everything that scared it, saddened it, made it angry, made it happy. Rebecca just sat there, listening to her Pokemon talk. Rebecca wasn't the best Pokespeaker in the world so there was more than one occasion when she couldn't understand the words Igglybuff said, but she didn't need to. To see her Pokemon heal itself of it's depression just by talking was doing more good to both of their pains than all the medicine in the world. It was well into the night before Igglybuff finally fell asleep. The little Pokemon was still mumbling the occasional word as sleep crept up on it. Rebecca too was growing tired. The last word she heard before both of them fell asleep was,

"_Thankyou_"


	5. Interview

Chapter 5: Interview

* * *

A/N: To be honest, I have no idea why I'm coming back to this story after all this time, maybe because I re-read it just the other day and it's actually one of my better works. Anyway, enjoy an insanely late fifth chapter.

Disclaimer: No, I don't own Pokemon. If I did, there'd be more promo events in England.

* * *

The sun rose on another bright and perfect Monday at around 7 in the morning. However, of the four prospective Pokemon trainers, three of them were already awake and active at this early hour.

Richard was idly humming the theme tune to his favourite Pokemon documentary series in his head as he folded another shirt and carefully put it in his backpack. Zubat was currently out foraging for bugs in the garden and Richard had left the window open in order to let the bat Pokemon back in. As Richard strapped his belt on and checked all of his side pouches, Zubat coasted back in through the window and alighted with some dignity on the boy's head and affectionately began raking his teeth through the tangled locks.

"Yeah Zubat, I'm happy to see you too," Richard grinned as he teetered to accommodate the extra weight. Zubat merely chittered in response. Richard straightened up and pointed to his desk. "Mind getting my mobile for me?" Zubat shrieked, fell off Richard head, opened his wings and sailed over to the desk. He leaned down, grabbed the phone in his mouth and flew back to his trainer's head. Richard reached up and removed the phone from Zubat before the bat had a chance to accidentally swallow it. Richard dropped the mobile into a side pouch, zipped it up and picked up the backpack. Despite the large amount of clothes inside it, the pack was deceptively light. Richard pulled open the door of his bedroom with disturbing enthusiasm and walked decisively out of the house.

Two minutes later, he walked decisively back into the house, back up the stairs into his room where he grabbed Zubat's Pokeball from his desk. Then he turned and headed back towards the University.

Chris was also on his way to the University. Gastly was, for the moment, content to rest in his Pokeball. Chris had taken the opportunity while Gastly was asleep to quickly gather up all of his possessions and apologise profusely to the Nurse Joy in charge of the Pokemon centre, who had shrugged off the apology with her usual good nature. With less enthusiasm than Richard, and more filled with a sense of relief that he was out of the Pokemon centre and away from the trainers that Gastly had attacked, Chris set off down the path towards the Unversity.

Amy had left her house a few minutes earlier than Richard as she had longer to go. She lived on the other side of town to the University and faced a forty-five minute walk to the university every day. The journey would probably be quicker today, partly due to her excitement at starting a Pokemon journey, and partly due to the fact that she'd finally become confident at riding Ponyta at speed. The fire horse was currently progressing through the rows of buildings at a steady trot allowing Amy to doze as she travelled and catch up on the sleep she'd missed in an effort to be ready on time.

Rebecca was the only member of the group that was still asleep. She snored gently with Igglybuff curled up in a ball next to her head. Before falling asleep last night, Rebecca had packed her bag in advance in order to pre-empt her nasty habit of sleeping in.

* * *

Professor Redwood checked the clock on the wall of his office as he stubbed out another cigarette in his ashtray. Five minutes until the children were meant to be arriving for their final exam. Beside him on the floor his Espeon was delicately eating pellets of Pokemon food from a bowl. The professor's Kecleon was currently sitting in a tree outside the main door of the University, watching the road for the oncoming students. The Nurse Joy from Pewter city had commandeered some of the school's janitorial Pokemon as well as several members of the faculty in order to set up an impromptu Pokemon centre in the school's gymnasium. She was now sitting dutifully on one of the many benches that were stored in the gym waiting for her first patient.

_"Kecleon has seen something" _A voice sounded in his head. Redwood glanced down at Espeon, whose head gem was glowing faintly, indicating that the Pokemon was using her psychic powers. Redwood grinned faintly and thought his response.

"O.k. Tell Kecleon to keep an eye open for the others, I'll go and meet them. You'd better get ready too." Redwood stretched the stiffness from his muscles and opened the door to his office. Espeon stood up behind him and opened the door of his closet with her psychic powers. Espeon had spent a great deal of yesterday rearranging the layout of the closet in order to provide her with a suitable environment for conducting interviews.

The trainer standing just inside the main lobby was Chris, not Amy as Redwood had predicted. The professor owed himself a beer. The young main was trying to display an air of casual indifference but Redwood was able to pick up the signs of stress. The boy's clothes were rumpled and stained. Chris' clothes were never perfectly clean or tidy, but Redwood would fashion a guess that the boy's last few nights sleep had not been pleasant ones. The boy also had Gastly's Pokeball in a death grip. Redwood sighed and made his presence known. Chris looked up at the professor and smiled.

"Hello Chris. Ready for your final exam?" Redwood asked.

"Ready as I'll ever be sir." Chris replied pushing himself off the wall he had been leaning against. Redwood nodded and turned away down the corridor. Chris moved to follow him and the two walked in silence towards the gym. Redwood held the door open for Chris and the boy walked inside. Redwood looked at the young trainer.

"I'll be waiting out here when you're done." Chris nodded and walked up to the counter. Gingerly he handed Gastly's Pokeball over to Nurse Joy. She took it with a smile and released the Pokemon inside. Gastly opened one large eye with a hiss and immediately shut it again in protest of the harsh light. Chris sighed in relief. At least Gastly wouldn't be able to cause trouble in this phase of the exam. Nurse Joy waved Blissey over and the two began the check-up.

A few minutes later Chris was ushered out of the gym holding Gastly's Pokeball again. The ghost Pokemon had been given a clean bill of health by Nurse Joy as far as she was able to determine, especially considering that ghosts were notoriously difficult to check. Amy was standing in the corridor with the professor. She was sitting on her Ponyta and Chris felt Gastly's Pokeball wriggle slightly in his hand as Gastly sensed the presence of his enemy. Chris just tightened his grip and forced a smile towards Amy who returned it warmly. Redwood ushered Amy inside and turned to Chris.

"Well, you've passed the first test. Congratulations. Now if you'll follow me, we'll proceed to the interview phase of the test." The two walked through the maze of corridors until they reached Redwood's office. Redwood sat in his seat behind his desk and held out his hand. Chris understood instinctively and handed Gastly's Pokeball to the professor. The door of the Professor's cupboard opened seemingly by itself and the Professor threw the Pokeball inside. Once the ball had hit the floor and opened, the door swung shut and locked itself. Redwood gestured to the sofa on the other side of the room and Chris sat down.

* * *

Gastly formed in a dark room, of which he approved. The room was small and smelt of clothes but at least it was dark. Gastly detested the light.

_"Do you know why you're here?"_ A voice said. Gastly span round, leaving some of his ectoplasmic tendrils behind him as he turned to face the voice. It was an Espeon, head gem glowing with an ethereal light.

_"Psyker!"_ Gastly yelled, the instinctive hatred of psychics that he had been born with overriding all of his senses. He dashed towards the Espeon, tongue hanging out in order to deliver a dose of paralyzing neurotoxin. Just before the tip of his tongue could touch Espeon's purple fur, the Psychic Pokemon's eyes flashed blue and Gastly found himself thrown against the back wall and held there by invisible force. Gastly struggled, but found it futile.

_"Foolish little ghost. Don't presume to fight that which you have no chance of defeating. I would have thought your trainer would teach you better than that." _Espeon growled as she pinned Gastly to the wall. The ghost Pokemon managed to rotate in her grip enough to look her in the eye.

_"Oh, he's tried. But I refuse to be cowed by such a pathetic specimen of human as him. By the time he is skilled enough to warrant my respect, I'll be long gone out of his life."_ Gastly grinned. Espeon shook her head in despair at the depravity of the ghost Pokemon, but she sensed that she would get no further with the Pokemon. She could sense a one track conversation when it began to appear and this would be one. It would be part of Chris' challenge to overcome his Gastly's hatred of him but it would be a trial that he would be all the stronger for overcoming. She levitated Gastly's Pokeball and pressed the button in the centre and recalled the struggling ghost. She opened the door and allowed the Professor to pick up the Pokeball. The Professor raised an eyebrow in her direction and she spoke to him through their mental link.

_"The Gastly is indeed a menace. But Chris has tried to correct it. He has passed, for what it is worth. He has much harder trials ahead of him with that Pokemon in his possession."_ Espeon said as Redwood placed another Pokeball on the floor in front of her, She opened it with her mind as Redwood shut the door.

"Chris, come with me please." Redwood asked as he left the office. Amy was now accompanied on the sofa by Richard who had Zubat on his head. Redwood nodded to the boy and left the office. As the two of them left the building, Rebecca ran past the two of them, obviously out of breath and at least fifteen minutes late. Redwood managed to yell to her to head to the gym before she disappeared into the building.

"Chris, you've passed." Redwood said simply. He allowed Chris to cheer loudly and celebrate before he began speaking again. "You've already stated which region you wish to travel to. You want to journey in Johto correct?" Chris nodded repeatedly, grinning like a mad thing. Redwood couldn't help but smile as well. He held out a hand. In it were a red electrical machine and a small scrap of paper.

"This is the University's parting gift to you. A pokedex, which will certify you as a Pokemon trainer. The paper is a certificate of authenticity. If you're going to Johto, then you'll no doubt start at New Bark Town. Everyone does it seems. My colleague Professor Elm studies in that town, this voucher will give you one Pokemon from his collection for starting trainers. Two Pokemon will be better than one on the journey ahead." Redwood said solemnly. "You've been a great student Chris. I wish you every success in your journey ahead and can only extend my apologies for giving you that Gastly." Chris shook his head.

"No sir, Gastly wasn't your fault. You weren't to know. Just give it time and I'm sure Gastly will get over whatever thing he's got against me." Chris smiled and held out a hand. Professor Redwood smiled back and shook it. With one last look at the University, Chris started back on the path towards the town.

* * *

When Redwood entered his office again both Amy and Richard were sitting on the sofa holding their Pokeballs. Rebecca was sitting on the edge of Redwood's desk nervously biting her fingernails. Redwood sat down behind the desk and asked Espeon about what had gone on.

_"You were gone a long time Edward. Amy and Richard have both passed. They've both got a strong bond between them and their Pokemon. I'm talking to the Igglybuff now. I haven't got all the details yet but you can probably pass Rebecca too, her Igglybuff certainly seems in better spirits than she was last week and that can only be a positive sign."_ Redwood nodded and turned to the three students and cleared his throat in order to get their attention.

"Well, this is a unique situation. All four of you specified different regions to travel in and you have all passed." Again, Redwood paused talking while the celebrations raged for a few minutes. Zubat shrieked in delight and began circling around the room. Ponyta reared up on her hinds legs almost setting fire to Redwood's curtains before running up to Amy and nuzzling her. The door to the closet opened and Igglybuff rocketed out straight at Rebecca. The small pink Pokemon caught her trainer in a hug around the neck and the two fell over backwards with the momentum. Redwood waited for the jubilation to cease and handed each trainer a Pokedex and voucher similar to the one he had given Chris. Amy's voucher was redeemable by Professor Oak in Kanto. Richard had chosen to journey in Hoenn and would receive his Pokemon from Professor Birch. Rebecca had chosen Sinnoh and would meet Professor Rowan for her Pokemon.

"You three. I want to thank you for being my students for the past three years. I know you've learned a lot from me otherwise we wouldn't be talking right now. But I've learnt a lot from you. You all remind me of my own Pokemon journey and I wish I could be going on another one again. I envy you children, but my place is here teaching the next group of students after you. Good luck on your journeys." Redwood indicated the door and allowed the three new Pokemon trainers to exit the room. Once outside, the three exchanged hugs and congratulations. Richard was about to leave when Amy yelled out after him.

"Hey, I'll see you in the Pokemon League right? No matter what, we'll all get through to the next Pokemon League and we'll meet up there O.k.?" Richard nodded and gave her a quick thumbs up before walking out into a new day with Zubat perched on his head. Amy and Rebecca hugged once more, Amy vaulted onto Ponyta and walked out into the morning as Rebecca followed behind, with Igglybuff in her arms.

* * *

Right. This Chapter marks a change in how this story runs. From this point on, I will no longer be updating this story. Instead, I will be writing four stories that run side by side. Each story will follow one of the four trainers. Richard in Hoenn, Amy in Kanto, Chris in Johto, or Rebecca in Sinnoh. So read those stories to follow the four. Once the Pokemon League tournament comes around, that will be written up in this story.

On a note that more of you will be interested in, As the group has split up for the four regions, they will need travelling partners. Feel free to submit your own trainer ideas in your reviews but if you do, please specify which of the four (Richard, Chris, Amy or Rebecca) you want them to travel with otherwise I'll decide for myself. Thanks for reading and don't forget to review.


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